7 Great Advertising Ideas for Small Businesses

Do you own a small business and want some good advertising ideas to attract more business? As you know, there are many different strategies you can go with. You also have the choice of going with many different advertising avenues. The only problem is which ones you should focus on.

Here are some solid ideas that are cost effective and work.

The first of these advertising ideas are postcards. Postcards are very affordable and it is a great way to have people visit your website or call your business. You can use an existing customer list or buy a direct mail list when you use postcards. The benefit of using them is that your message is out in the open and recipients do not have to open the mail.

The second idea is doing a joint venture with another small business. Find a business that's related to yours and figure out how you can work with them to benefit each other. For example, if you are selling medical supplies for pets, you may want to partner with a vet and cross promote to each other's customer list for an effective and targeted marketing promotion.

The third idea is to use the Internet. There are many ways to get your business found on the Internet. There are business review sites like Yelp, business directory lists, and local listings. If done correctly, you can get more people finding your business online.

The fourth idea is to build an audience. You can do this by asking your customers for an email list and delivering a newsletter every week or two weeks. You can also get your prospects and customers to follow you on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and your own blog to keep up with them.

The fifth idea a small business can use is to offer free products or services. You can offer a valuable product or service in order to get a qualified lead. You can do this in the form of coupons distributed to your business partners, networking meetings, and more.

The sixth idea is to follow up with customers. Do you have a customer list on file that you haven't looked at for a long time? Then it's time you contact them. Start out with value to reestablish the connection and then offer promotional offers that are relevant. Research shows that it costs around 6-7 times more to get a new customers than sell to a new one.

The seventh idea is to brand yourself through expertise. Many people are branding themselves as the go to person for a specific topic. For example, if you are selling wine, you can really talk about the different types of wine and establish yourself as somebody that knows about the topic. You can channel your expertise online, through newsletters, and in networking meetings.
These advertising ideas are all great ways to help bring you more customers into your small business. You don't have to have a big budget to attract customers, you can just use the right advertising ideas correctly and bring in a steady stream of revenue. It's all about being open minded and educating yourself on how to successfully market your business.